


In Darcy We (Don't) Trust

by ReginaNocis



Series: Obscure Love [40]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Assistant Darcy Lewis, Awesome Darcy Lewis, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Junior Agent OCs, People are not nice to Darcy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 09:55:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14446776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReginaNocis/pseuds/ReginaNocis
Summary: In which Darcy works for Coulson and is dating Captain America... not that any of the other agents believe her.





	In Darcy We (Don't) Trust

“You know, I’m not opposed to telling people about our relationship,” Steve told her, running fingers through her hair. They were lying tangled together after a round of spectacular sex, and she had never felt happier.

“I know. I just don’t see why we should flaunt it,” she replied, kissing his palm when it came close enough.

“Telling friends and family isn’t flaunting,” he countered. “We could at least tell the team and Dr. Foster.”

“Yeah, okay. But there’s no need to go public with it. I’m already not well liked at work,” she conceded. “Dating Captain America isn’t going to help that. Not that anybody would believe me.”

“Why wouldn’t they believe you?” he asked, frowning. “And I thought you liked your job. Coulson sings your praises to Clint and Natasha all the time.”

“I call bullshit,” she giggled, then forced herself to be serious. “I got this job straight out of college, with no experience and without going through the SHIELD academy. The other agents don’t like that, especially the juniors who just graduated the academy themselves. And I’m not particularly special in any way. Not to anyone else.”

“You’re special to me,” he told her, pulling her into an enthusiastic kiss. He then set out to prove exactly how special she made him feel.

 

The first time Darcy ever felt the need to mention that she had a significant other, she was laughed at. SHIELD was having an office party, and Phil had told her attendance was mandatory. She’d invited Steve, but he’d been busy with an Avengers mission. She’d understood, but as she stood there listening to three junior agents discussing his abs, she wished he would have chosen her over his job. (She immediately felt bad for having that thought. He was saving the world, and she was just a glorified secretary. Her priorities were very messed up, apparently.)

“He’s a person, you know. And his girlfriend probably wouldn’t appreciate you discussing him like that,” she cut in, pushing her anger down. Just a year ago, she would have been eagerly joining in with her own thoughts.

“And how would you know?” Agent Peters, the snobbiest of the three, asked her. She was so condescending that Darcy considered just rolling her eyes and walking away, but… Steve would have defended her honor. He had done just that many times, probably more than she knew about.

“Being his girlfriend, I find this very unprofessional and offensive. Or would you enjoy it if I started rating Maxwell’s features in front of you?” she responded, crossing her arms. The three agents stared at her silently for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing.

“Good one, Lewis,” Jones gasped out, wiping at her eyes. “You almost had us.”

“It wasn’t a joke,” Darcy said quietly, shrinking into herself. This is exactly why she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about their relationship. The team and Jane had taken it well, but the rest of the world was too interesting in lusting after Steve to recognize or respect their relationship. Darcy was just a civilian. She couldn’t compete with agents or superheroes. Nobody saw them as a couple.

“Oh Darcy, this is just sad,” Agent Peters told her, smiling in what she seemed to think was a sympathetic way. “You’ve been single for so long that you’ve deluded yourself into thinking you have a super-boyfriend.”

“Oh, let her dream,” Agent Jones laughed. “I’ve certainly had that dream before. Also one where I get to lick his abs. There’s nothing wrong with wanting.”

“But this goes beyond wanting,” Agent Jennings pointed out, speaking for the first time. “She thinks she actually has him.”

“There’s no thinking about it,” Darcy snapped. “Steve and I are very happy together, and I’m not going to let you ruin that for me.”

She walked away before they could say anything else, leaving the party entirely when she couldn’t find Phil to hide with him. She’d deal with the repercussions next week.

 

Next week came entirely too fast. Darcy’s announcement of her relationship had spread through the inner channels far more quickly than she’d anticipated, and all of the junior agents made it a point to walk past her desk every couple hours to stare at her and laugh. She felt like she was in a circus, and not a fun one.

Natasha stopped by her desk for lunch, and she listened to Darcy complain with an actually sympathetic smile. “I went through all of that when Clint and I started dating. The rumor was that I was using him for sex between missions, and that he could do much better than me. Pepper had the same problem with tabloids, and Betty and Bruce still haven’t stepped forward with their relationship.”

“Jane doesn’t have this problem,” Darcy huffed.

“Jane is a brilliant astrophysicist who has her own amazing reputation that has nothing to do with how she looks. People admire her brain, not her body,” Natasha pointed out.

“They don’t admire my brain _or_ my body,” Darcy grumbled, stabbing at her chicken angrily. Natasha laughed.

“You obviously don’t listen to the male agents talking,” she told her gently. “You’re very attractive Darcy, but you and I have the same reputation. I have earned it, but you have not.”

“They think I use men for sex?” Darcy asked, frowning. “But why? Steve is my first boyfriend in years, and I haven’t had sex in longer.”

“Nobody here knows you well enough to know that,” Natasha reminded her. “This is like any other office. The only difference is that we are trained in gathering intelligence. You spend an ungodly amount of time with both Tony Stark and Thor, and you have incredible… assets.”

“And the people highly trained in gathering intelligence have concluded that I regularly sleep with both?” Darcy asked skeptically.

“The rumor mill is how Phil decides which junior agents become actual agents. The three who harassed you at the party were demoted immediately. They’ll never be more than desk jockeys here, but they’ll never quite know what they did to earn that,” Natasha told her.

“So the ones who know about Steve and I are the ones he takes seriously?” Darcy asked. Natasha gave her a bright smile in response and ruffled her hair.

“Don’t forget about our sparring session later. You need to learn how to block more effectively,” she reminded Darcy in parting. Darcy waved, ignoring Agent Peters watching her at the end of the corridor with narrowed eyes.

 

“So you not only think you’re dating Captain America, but now you think you’re ‘besties’ with the infamous Black Widow?” Agent Peters demanded, sitting down across from Darcy in the cafeteria the next day. Darcy sighed and closed her book.

“I’m sorry?” Darcy asked, giving the agent her full attention. She tried to remember the girl’s first name, but she just couldn’t manage it. Melissa? Valerie? She just didn’t know.

“You should be,” Peters agreed, rolling her apple in her hand. “This is getting out of hand.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Darcy informed her, stirring her tea to take a drink. “And I’m really not sure why you’re sitting with me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, is this seat reserved for Hawkeye?” Peters mocked, smirking. She choked on her apple when an answer came from behind her instead of from Darcy.

“Actually, it is,” Clint informed her calmly. “Steve and Nat will be here any minute, too. So there’s really no room for junior agents with bad taste.”

“Excuse me?” Peters demanded, standing to face him angrily.

“You’re excused,” Natasha told her, kissing Clint on the cheek as she walked up. Steve joined her in seconds, raising his eyebrows at the girl in front of them. Peters spluttered, seemingly unable to think of an appropriate response. Steve, meanwhile, grinned at Darcy over her shoulder.

“Hey, I was hoping you’d still be here,” he told her, moving around the immobile agent to kiss her in front of the entire cafeteria. “We just got back an hour ago, and I really want to get home as soon as possible. I cleared it with Phil.”

“I knew he was a pushover for you,” Darcy teased, slipping her book into her bag. “I’m ready when you are.” They left the cafeteria together, ignoring the roar of noise that followed their exit.

 

Hours later, once they were lying tangled together yet again, she thanked him for his help. He gave her an incredulous look, and she smiled sheepishly. “Why wouldn’t you tell me it was that bad?” he asked quietly, playing with her hair yet again.

“I told you it would happen,” she pointed out. “Nobody there respects me.”

“They will now,” he promised. “Phil didn’t know, either. Natasha smacked some sense into all of us, and we’ve all got your back. Any time you want me to come to a function, or even just have lunch with you, just say the word.”

“Aw, thanks babe,” she smiled, kissing him lightly.

 

A mysterious coffee was on her desk the next morning with a single word written on the side. _‘Sorry.’_ It wasn’t enough to make up for the torture she’d been put through in the last few weeks, but it was a start.

**Author's Note:**

> This really isn't a rare pairing, like I usually write, but I had the idea and I ran with it. Darcy remains my favorite character to write for, of course. 
> 
> I think it's safe to say that we've pretty much all been in similar situations to what she went through here. People can be cruel. Shout-out to the people who don't have friends at work/school who back them up... You've got a friend in me. :)


End file.
